


The New Kid

by brotherfuckers



Series: Striderclan [112]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Developing Relationship, Fluff, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, References another story, slight mention of incest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-21
Updated: 2014-11-21
Packaged: 2018-02-26 11:11:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2649914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brotherfuckers/pseuds/brotherfuckers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been years since the new kid came into his life and changed everything. Including the number of cliches present in his life. This is part of the story of how Dirk met Jake.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The New Kid

**Author's Note:**

> (References Discovery)

Dirk was doing homework in the back of the classroom when the new kid first walked in. Dirk didn’t even look up when the teacher introduced him as a transfer student. Dirk had to get this homework done before class started. He possibly procrastinated a little last night, working on another project, a personal project, instead of doing the homework that was due that day. He was almost done. Algebra was easy for him.

He vaguely noted that the new kid had a boring name. Who named their kid after a language. It’s a last name, but Dirk’s complaint still held. And he was from somewhere that Dirk didn’t recognize but sounded like a Pacific island, and the teacher confirmed that seconds later. Great, so he would be a weird kid. Dirk just hoped that he knew the language that he was named after, otherwise he’d be asking so many questions and normally that just confused anyone who listened. Dirk learned to just ignore any extra questions that came up in class. If he ever had a question, he went back to the book or worse case scenario, he’d ask Bro. Bro was knowing less and less however, so Dirk would have to start reaching out to Rose or Mom.

He shook off those thoughts and went back to the problems on the page. He had about ten more to do-

“Good tidings, future classmates! I’m honored to be among your numbers. Indubitably I shall strive to befriend all of you in short order while I absorb everything of your culture. I’ll share mine as well. But enough of my platitudinous blathering, it is rude of me to hold your attention hostage when there is learning to be done!”

Dirk stared up at him. That voice, with an accent that didn’t fit the strange vocabulary. Those buck teeth that nearly took over his smile and contrasted against his dark skin. Those thick rimmed glasses with green squinty eyes behind them. That black hair swept up into a stupid style. Everything about him made Dirk want to punch him in the face.

He was so taken in by the newcomer that he missed the teacher directing him to sit in the empty desk next to Dirk until Jake was walking towards him and sitting down. Dirk had been so focused on getting his homework done that he hadn’t even noticed that there was an extra desk.

“Good morning chum!” he greeted brightly.

Dirk just stared at him for a moment more and then went back to his work.

“What are you working on? Getting ahead of the curve?”

Dirk still didn’t answer.

“You certainly have an interesting style. In regards to your choice of eyewear. I wish I had more options for my eyepieces but unfortunately my prescription is such that the only other style available makes it look like I’m wearing the bottoms of coke bottles.”

“Holy fuck, shut up.”

“Blimey. You’re not a morning person, are you? My apologies. Oh! Announcements are starting.” He folded his hands together and looked up brightly at the intercom, apparently taking the school’s announcements very seriously even though every other kid in the school tuned it out.

* * *

Dirk’s outburst didn’t deter the new kid. Jake was very talkative at every other part of the day, especially so at lunch where he apparently decided that Dirk was his ambassador. He stuck to Dirk like glue. The only time he was remotely quiet was in the morning, which Dirk appreciated. He quickly got used to the new kid hanging out, joining him and Dave after school at times. Dirk started to show him around Houston as well as filling him in about the American culture in context to whatever was going on. He learned a bit from the new kid as well.

Jake apparently lived with his grandmother on their own island in a lush jungle that he said that he explored but as Dirk learned, it was mostly just his backyard. He believed the bit about it being a jungle through picture proof that he kept at his host’s house. Jake also liked weapons but prefered combustibles over bladed weapons. He had atrocious tastes in movies but was open to reeducation on that front. Dave connected with him on his love of bones and dead things, but Dirk always found Jake coming back to him by the end of the day.

* * *

Dirk found himself able to tolerate Jake and his mannerisms a lot more as they continued to hang out. He no longer had the urge to punch the dark skinned boy in the mouth. He found Jake to be a little more comfortable with extra touches than he was used to, but he also found himself not shying away from the random hugs or back thumps or arms across his shoulders.

In fact, he found that he actually enjoyed it. Jake’s body was different from his own, more muscly, thicker, warmer. And he smelt good too. He had a scent very different from the rest of Dirk’s family’s.

He noticed a couple other things about Jake. And a couple things about himself. He noticed that Jake was good at making friends like he announced at the beginning. He noticed that he was jealous over Jake’s new friends when they would get hugs or extra touches. He noticed that Jake would listen to him talk about anything for hours. He noticed that he would do the same for Jake.

The new kid had wormed his way into Dirk’s life so sufficiently and quickly that Dirk wouldn’t hesitate to call him his best friend (along with Roxy and Dave of course). But he also felt that it was more than that. Like when they sat on the futon together watching another good movie (by Strider standards) and they watched the romantic scenes between the hero and heroine, Dirk couldn’t help but think about what they would be like as heroes together. And do heroic things together. Like adventures and treasure hunting and stopping bad guys and kissing...

* * *

Dirk knew that as soon as he started thinking about it, he wasn’t going to stop thinking about it until he did something about it. He just didn’t know what. He wanted to... he wanted to kiss Jake. He thought he could convince Jake to give it a shot with him. But what if he was confusing platonic feelings for romantic? His other two best friends were his family so there was no chance of romance with them. So what if he didn’t actually want to kiss Jake? What if he didn’t want to kiss boys?

The thoughts ran around his head and kept him up at night. His timeline was getting shorter and shorter though as the school year got closer to the end. Jake would have to go back soon. They traded chum handles and he promised that they had very strong internet signal on the island so they would be able to talk after he was gone. But Dirk wanted to do something face to face. Not over chat. But he couldn’t bring himself to do anything because he didn’t have enough data to act on.

He wondered if he should ask D or Bro or even Mom. Or maybe...

“Dave? You still awake?”

“Huh?”

Shit he was asleep. “Nevermind.”

“Nah, now you got me up, asshole. Whaddya want?”

“Nothing. Nevermind.”

“Don’t make me come over there.”

“Well... uh...”

A short couple of minutes later and Dirk had an appropriate amount of data to make plans to woo his potential romantic partner.

* * *

“Hey English,” Dirk asked quietly, making the green eyed boy look up over his lunch. Jake’s mouth was full with his cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk. Dirk questioned himself for a split second to make sure that this dork was where he wanted to place his affections. Then Jake swallowed the bite and smiled brightly at his friend and yes, his heart did just flip upside down in his chest.

“What is it, Strider?”

“Jake, could you... would you... hah, fuck.”

“Spit it out, chap. Or has the pussy caught your tongue?”

“Our education on appropriate language apparently needs to continue, but that’s not what I need to ask you.” He looked around briefly but no one else was close. There were no other distractions or interruptions. “I know we are big kids but playgrounds are pretty cool so after school today, will you come hang out at the one right down the street with me?”

“That sounds like a ripsnorting adventure! I’d be zealous to come with you. But what on earth is wrong with pussy? Do you not like cats? I thought your sisters had several.”

“I like cats plenty. I just don’t like pussy,” Dirk said, keeping the multiple meanings of the word in mind. “I’ll explain later.”

“Not safe for school?”

“Exactly.”

“Then I wait with bated breath.”

* * *

Dirk had to wait through the rest of the day with bated breath and his heart up in his throat. He was tempted several times to call it off but he persevered, and found himself walking with Jake down the sidewalk to the playground in question. Thankfully it wasn’t that busy as it was the secondary playground for the elementary school that it belonged to, so all of the after school program kids were at the other one. They tucked their backpacks against the benches and then Dirk followed Jake as the adventurer ran off to explore.

He caught up when Jake jumped onto the swings, standing on the seat before throwing his weight back and forth. Dirk mirrored him on the next one and they got into a quick competition to see who could swing the highest. Dirk conceded the win only because Jake had a lower center of gravity than him. It then became a quick contest to see how far they could launch themselves from the swing. Dirk stuck the landing but Jake fell and rolled through the grass and wood chips.

They went running off again, this time to see who could get to the top of the playground fortress fastest. Dirk got to the building first but Jake found a better way up and sat at the peak of the roof, crowing his victory as Dirk finished scrambling up.

“Booyeah! I have triumphed over the great and speedy Strider!”

“That you did, English. Good for you. Showing off your monkey origins.”

“I’m no monkey, Strider! Take that back!”

“Retracted. I guess you are just better at climbing things for no apparent reason except that you are better than me.”

“Oh shut up, Strider.”

“Make me.” The words were out of his mouth before he really thought about the subtext that he could put into such a statement which was somewhat what he was going for but Jake of course wouldn’t catch on because he was a naive, obtuse, adorable scoundrel as he would call himself. Well, he wouldn’t call himself all of those adjectives but they still fit him. And exactly like Dirk should have predicted, Jake took that as a wrestling challenge despite their precarious location. Given his options between surrendering under Jake or falling to their deaths (well, most likely just a couple bruises and possible broken limb), Dirk went pliant under Jake which took Jake by surprise.

“Strider?”

“English.”

“Fight back, you bandying scoundrel!” Ah, there was that vocabulary. Apparently Dirk was the scoundrel, not Jake. “I’m not going to go easy on you just because you belly up.”

“Never expected you to.” He enjoyed how Jake’s eyes crinkled up behind his glasses and how he bit his lip in order to come up with a comeback. Just as he was about to speak again, Dirk leaned up and kissed him.

Jake’s lips were plump and cracked, probably from how often he tugged at them with his buck teeth. So different from Dave’s but still very nice. Their glasses clinked together and Dirk regretted not taking off his shades first. Jake had already seen them from when he had visited the Strider apartment. The bright afternoon sun made it risky to do now, but it would have been worth it. Too late now however.

Dirk held position for as long as he could at that angle. He was a bit hopeful when Jake didn’t pull away but Jake also didn’t press into the kiss. When Dirk dropped back to the roof, the peak was now digging uncomfortably against his spine. He looked up to find Jake still frozen there. His eyes were wide like a deer in headlights and Dirk felt like shit. He just lost his best friend.

“I can expl-”

“Crikey! That was-”

“I didn’t me-”

“Preposterously incredible!”

“I’m so...rry?” Did he hear that right? Jake thought it was incredible?

“Can we do that again?”

“Of course. My lips aren’t going anywhere since you have me pinned, English.”

“Good.” Jake smiled and his eyes softened. He leaned down and Dirk pushed up to meet him and their second kiss was better than the first as both sides pressed together. They stayed together as long as as they could before parting. They were both smiling up at each other.

“I’m so glad that went as well as it did.”

“Is this what had your knickers in a bunch all day long?”

“Yes.”

“You are absolutely ridiculous, Strider. You overthink everything with that noggin of yours.”

“Always. But now that we have that crucial bit out of the way and we can pretty much say that we undeniably like kissing each other-”

“We can definitely say!”

“We can definitely say that we undeniably like kissing each other,” Dirk corrected, “would you like to make this a permanent thing, English?”

“Strider, are you asking me to go steady with you?”

“No one calls it that anymore, but yes. I want to be boyfriends with you.”

“I would be much agreeable to that, Strider.”

“Cool.”

* * *

“Hey, Bro, D? I’m gay,” he announced casually from this spot at the kitchen table as soon as he finished his english homework, a pointless series of identifying adverbs in sentences. He glanced subtly over at his two older brothers. D was hunched over at his laptop, furiously typing at something. Bro was just sprawled out on the futon.

“It’s that weird talking kid, ain’t it?”

“My boyfriend, yes.”

“It doesn’t get you out of dishes, Dirk,” D said over his shoulders, barely even slowing down his typing.

“Dang,” Dirk teased back with a soft smile on his lips. He wasn’t expecting it to go badly, but it was still a comfort to know that they were okay with it.

* * *

Dirk had promised that he would be there at the airport when Jake left as it would be the last time that they saw each other face to face for probably years. Two months was not enough time for either of the two boys. Dirk regularly kicked himself for taking so long to ask Jake out. They only got a handful of dates in, overly romantic and cheesy to make up for the lack of future chances. They hadn’t gotten much past kissing but enjoyed each other’s kisses a lot. So much so that they were swapping kisses right up to the security line.

Dirk was doing his best to keep a straight face, only sparing a couple smiles for Jake but otherwise keeping a stiff lip in the face of Jake’s large tears rolling down his face. Neither wanted to let the other go but their guardians, Bro and Jake’s Texan hosts, kept reminding him of the time for his flight. It was important for him to make it because the flight out to his particular island was difficult to schedule.

“Dirk,” Jake whined.

“I know, I know. I’m going to miss you too, English. You have to text and chat me at every stop along the way until you get home. And then we’ll figure out how to stream movies over the net.”

“It’s not going to be the same!”

“It’s the best we can do as star crossed lovers, English.”

Jake smiled wetly at the Shakespeare reference. “You’re not much of a Romeo, Strider.”

“Well, duh. I’m the Juliette. Though without the dumb sleeping poison. And no real poison or knives for you either. I want a live body to kiss when we meet again.”

“Right.” The adults gave them another warning. “Right-o, I guess... I guess I’m off.”

“See you later, English.”

“See... you...” Jake sobbed off as he turned bravely and headed through the security line.

Dirk stood there watching until he couldn’t see Jake any longer, and then continued to stand there until Bro’s hand on his shoulder pulled him away. Bro was a good brother and didn’t mention any of the sniffles that he heard from the back seat. He just stopped for a milkshake on the way home and gave Dirk his space.

It wasn’t until he got the message that Jake made it all the way back to his grandmother’s place that he finally emerged from his room.

* * *

“Mom!” Roxy called down from her bedroom. “They are doing it again!”

“Use your nouns, sweetheart,” Mom called back from the kitchen.

“Poe and Aristotle are using my bed for antics that aren’t family appropriate! How did we manage to get the only two gay boy cats out of the entire shelter when we have a veritable harem of girl cats,” she explained before going to get the spray bottle from the bathroom.

“Oh well, guess I do have something in common with the cats,” Dirk said informally as he got out the carton of orange juice from the fridge.

“The neutering was wasted on those two. Also Dirk, I do hope you’ve had a talk from your brother that wasn’t too scarring about safe sex.”

“Nah, D covered everything Bro didn’t,” he shrugged as he turned back around.

He caught sight of Rose just staring at him from the doorway. He raised an eyebrow at her. She just turned on her heel and walked away. He frowned as he heard her go up to her room but ignored the odd reaction to his announcement to pour his drink. By the time he put it back into the refrigerator, she had returned and was holding out an envelope to him. He took it and turned it over in his hand. It was blank on the front but sealed on the back with an orange wax seal with an ornate RL pressed into it. He carefully pried it out and pulled out the single card inside. On the thick paper there was beautiful cursive script that read: ‘Theory: Dirk is as gay as a rainbow in an anime. - Rose Lalonde PS: CALLED IT’ with a date up in the corner that was nearly two years ago.

“Congratulations. Do you want a cookie?”

“I’ll take a cookie!” Roxy said as she bounced into the room, snagging the card out of Dirk’s hand and reading it for herself. “Oooooh, I have so many questions for you. Who is he? Is he cute? Does he kiss well? Is he as hot as anyone in Hollywood? Is he from Hollywood? Is he famous? Who do you think is cute in Hollywood? Do you think you could convince D to let me meet up with them?”

* * *

TT: So Jake.  
TT: Not to interrupt this cinematic majesty that we are watching.  
TT: But I have a question.  
GT: What is it strider?  
GT: Anything for my dearest chum.  
TT: What are you thinking about for college?  
GT: College?  
GT: Isnt that still a way away mate?  
GT: Were only two years into highschool.  
GT: Theres no reason to bend our noggins into such a fit over something do far into the future.  
TT: It’s actually not that far away.  
TT: And it’s something you actually have to plan for.  
TT: And we should plan for it because that’s when you come back to the states, right?  
GT: I suppose i could.  
GT: Havent thought about such things.  
TT: Didn’t think so. That’s why I am bringing it up. Because I think it would be a good idea for you to come stateside for your higher education.  
GT: Well.  
GT: Thats a boondoggle of an idea!  
TT: English. You are doing the thing where you use purposefully obscure language to keep me from understanding you.  
GT: Boondoggle is not that obscure of a term!  
TT: Very.  
GT: Well i think it is a ripsnorting idea. A whistlemaker of an idea. A bedeviled bluster of an idea.  
TT: Jake.  
TT: I’m serious.  
GT: So am i!  
GT: I think its brilliant.  
TT: Finally, a word that I can put concrete spin towards.  
GT: After all these years and you still dont understand me strider? Im insulted.  
TT: English, I have instances of you using all of the terms above in both positive and negative connotations. And you know it.  
GT: Maaaaaybe.  
GT: <3  
TT: <3  
TT: But anyways. College. I think it would be a good plan to look up colleges and majors and pick something where we could be together.  
GT: I think that would be an entrepreneurial idea.

* * *

GT: I got a letter today.  
TT: You interrupt what might be the most inscrutably discombobulated malarky of a cinematic picture to tell me about your mail?  
GT: -_-  
TT: <3  
GT: I dont talk like that.  
TT: Don’t make me ask Hal to go find archives for me.  
GT: Fine.  
TT: Babe.  
TT: You know I didn’t mean it.  
TT: But seriously, this movie isn’t even worth finishing.  
TT: English, come back.  
TT: Come back or I’ll start rapping at you.  
GT: Oh no not the rapping.  
TT: Ouch.  
TT: Burned.  
TT: So tell me what you got in the mail.  
GT: A letter.  
TT: \></  
GT: <3  
GT: It’s a letter from a certain prestigious college that you’ve already been accepted to.  
TT: And?  
GT: And...  
GT: ...I...  
GT: ...was...  
TT: Love, you are killing me. Please.  
GT: ...  
GT: ACCEPTED!  
TT: I knew you could do it.  
GT: You did say that.  
TT: <3  
GT: <3

* * *

It’s the week before the first day of college. He’s waiting for Jake at the airport. Not the same airport that the let his boyfriend leave from all of those years ago, but one closer to their college. Dirk was texting him solidly up until the point that Jake had to hang up the phone. He stares at the crowds coming out secure area in the airport.  

He’s only a little nervous. It’s been a while since they saw each other face to face without a screen between them. He thinks about how he should greet him. A fist bump is too casual. Sweeping him off his feet into a dip kiss might be a little much. Nah, that would be perfect. Especially if Jake doesn’t see it coming. But how to get Jake into position.

All of his planning turns to a moot point as he’s so lost in his thoughts that he doesn’t see Jake come sprinting at him and body slam him to the ground in an overzealous hug that nearly knocks the air out of his lungs. Dirk’s arms wrap around Jake and he hugs him tightly back before pulling him up just the little bit to get their lips together in a deep kiss. He thinks that the crowd might be making noises at them but he can’t care. He has Jake in his arms again.

Jake’s smiling brightly at him when they part for air.

“Well, are you ready for our biggest adventure yet, my love?”

Dirk feels his heart do a somersault in his chest. He loves how cheesy his boyfriend can be. “As long as you keep calling me that.”

**Author's Note:**

> For more information please check out our work at striderclan.tumblr.com; we have more stories, head canons, art/pictures.


End file.
